Door-closing handle



W. M. ARCHIBALD D'OOR CLOSING HANDLE May 17 1927.

Filed June 19, 1926 Patented May 17,

UNITED STATES WILLIAM M. ARCHIBALD, OF JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA.

iDOOR-OLO$ING. HANDLE.

Application filed June 19, 1926. Serial No. 117,160. g

This invention relates to door closers and more particularly to a manually operated attachment for the doors of automobiles permitting closing of these doors without the necessity oi. reaching out of the car.

As is well known, the doors of automobiles open outwardly and-in leaving a car, a person will often leave the door open, making it necessary for the driver of the car to reach-"out of the car toclose the same As these doors are relatively heavy, a grip must be taken on the, door at a point Well spaced from the hinge, withthe result that during rainy weather, the occupant who isclosing the door is often wetted. Accordingly, an important object of the invention is to provide an attachment for the door having an operating handle ar ranged adjacent the door hinge, so that it is practically accessible from the interior of the car without reaching therefromfand having a connection with the door at a point well spaced from the hinge, so that sufficient force may be applied to close the door without the exertion of an unnecessar amount of energy. v i

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which may be either built into the new cars or at tached to cars now in use and in which the handle willat all times be so positioned that it is unobtrusive while still. readily accessible.

A, further object of the invention to provide device ofthis character applicable to the doors of either closed or open cars, "which will be durable and efficient in service, attractive in appearance and a gen eral ll'llPl'OVBIl'lGIlt in the art.

These and other objects I attain by the construction shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein 2- Figure 1 is an inside elevation of a portion of an automobile door having a closinghandle constructed in accordance with my invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse sec tional view through the door onv the line 2-2 of Figure 1, showing the handle in position thereon, the handle being illustrated in dotted lines in the position to which it may be shifted to apply leverage to the door to close the same;

Figure .3 is Figure 2;

Figure l is an inside elevation of a 1nodi fied form of attachment;

I Figure 5 is a section on the line 55 of Figure 4; i

. Figure 6 isa fragmentary sectional view showing the manner in which the attachment may be disposed within a socket formed in the upper surface of the lower sill of a closed car or the upper end of the door of an open car;

Figure? is an enlarged sectional view on the line 77 of Figure 3.

I Referring now to the drawings, the device consists bracket 10 adapted to besecured tothe car door ll adjacent the center thereof and having pivoted thereto ahorizontally swinging arm 12, the terminal portion of which is. formed as a handle 13 arranged adjacent a section on the line 33ot th hinged side l l of the car door. .The

bracket 10 and portion lS ofthe arm 12 associated therewith are connected by a torsion spring 15, the function of which is to maintain the handle 13 against the inner face of the door when not in use.

The attaching bracket is in the form of a U-shaped member, in the arms 16 of'which are formed aligned openings 17 through .which a downturned end portion 18 of the horizontally directed arm is extended. About this downturned end portion, the torsion spring is coiled, one end 19 oil? the spring bearing against the bight 2U oi the U-shaped member while the other end thereof engages in a socket 21 :formcd in the downturned end portion .18, as more clearly shown in Figure 7. The method of attachingthis-bracket to the door of the car may be varied considerably.

In Figures 1, 2 and 3, one arm 16 of the bracket is provided with an extension 1'? adapted to overlie the upper surface of the lower sill 22 of a closed car door having a vertically sliding glass 23 operating in a slot 24-. The end 01 this extension is preterably provided with a downturned end portion 25 engaging in'the slot between the portion of the sill lying inwardly of the glass and the glass. This extension may be formed with a slot 26 for the passage of a securing element 27' or the bight 20 may be formed with openings 28 for the passage of securing elements. In the form shown in essentially of a mounting Figures 4 and 5, the arms 16 abut the inner face of the door with their ends and the securing elements 28 aredireeted through openings formed in the bight port-ion. In the form shown in Figure 6, a vertically extending socket 29 is formed in the door which houses the bight portion and o11e"arm= each of the constructions that end' of the spring which is extended through the downturned end "portionot the shaft is extended therethrough "immediately below the' upper arm 16 of the"b rackt so that this end of the spring"serves;not only to anchor the spring to the shaft but' also as a pin or stop efi'ectually preventing'elevation of thefar'ni 12 to an extent where; the "lowei entl -ofthe downturned end portion 18' can disengaged nan the opening of theclower arm 16 of the bracket. Attentionris further-directed to the fact'that the struct'ure' hereih' before 'recitedis suchi'thatit may be readily attached to doors Without regard to which side of the'doorjthehinges may be arranged upon. It is simplynece'ssarylto reverse the spring in its engagement with the "bight to hold the handled end of the *lever against thedoor at either ide of the bracket. This eliminates all necessity for prodricing a device in rights and lefts which theiby' materially reduces the cost of manut'actur'e.

t will be obvious that'othermeansbf attaching the bracket might be resorted to without in any'maiiher departinglrom the spirit of my invention and that"'otl'ier changes might likewise made in'the structure herein illustrated. I cording-1y do .not limit myself to such"speci[ic structure exec pt as herein after c'la iined. I claim y v 1. The combination with a vehicle door hi'nged along one side of the body of the vehicle, a bracket attached to the door adjacent the center thereoflahorizontally swinging arm pivoted to the bracket and having one end thereof extended adjacent the hinged edge oft he door and provided with handle, the bracket and arm being connected byatorsion spring urging the handled endfo'fthe arm into engagementwith the inner 'face of thedoor, said' bracket being U-sl1aped and having vertically aligned opei'iings fo ied infthe arms thereof thi ongh which a dowht-urned extension upon 'the'inner end of the-arm is directed', said torsion spring being coiled aboiit' thefdownt 'irned extensionot the arm betwee ith'e armsof the bracket-and having one end thl'fOf abutt'ed against the big'htof the hi'ac-ket'and'the opvehicle, a bracket attached to the door adjacent the center thereof, a horizontally swinglng arnr pivoted to the bracket and having one end thereof extended ad acent the hinged-edge of'the'door and provided with a handle, the b 'acket and arm being connected a toisionfsiprihg urging the 'htindledend of'the ari'n lntoengagementwith the inner iface the door, said bracket "being'U-shaped and having" vertically aligned, openings torined in thearn'is thereof through which a downturned extension upon the inner end of the arm is-directed, 'sai d torsion spring being coiledabout the downturned eiitensioii of the arm betweenthe armslo jt' the'bracket and :h'avingone end "thereof abhtted against thefbight 'ot the bracket ant-3* the opposite end thereof secured to the downturned extension of the-arm, oneof the arms otisa i'd 'U-shaped member having a portionalmttrng' the upperfface'of the door" structure and adapted 'for' the passage of seciiring elements. J

3. The combination with a vehicle door hinged along one side to the"body of the vehicle, a bracket attached to the" door, a horizontally swinging arm pivoted to the bracket' and having one end thereof ektentlettadjacent the hinged edge oft-he door f and providedwith a handle and a spring for maintaining the"lia.ndled "e1id ot thearm normally in engagementwiththe inner face of the door.

A. The combination with. a vehicle door hinged alongoh'e side to the body ofthe tehi'cle; a bracket attached to the dooradjacent the center thereof, a' horizontally swingingarm pivoted to 'tl'iebracket and. having one end thereof extended adjacent the hinged edge'of the door 'andprovided with a handle, the bracket and arn'i being'conn'ected by a torsion spring urging the: handle d end ot the arm into engagement with the inner face of the door, said bracketbeing U-shaped and having "vertically aligned openings formed in the arms thereof through which a downturned' extension upon the inner end oftheairm isdiiect'edQ said torsion spring being coiled about the downturned extension of thearmfbetween the arms fthe bracket and having one end thereof abtitted against "the bight of the "bracket and theopposite'endj thereof ex- WILLIAM M. AnomBALD.

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